Hissing like a viper, the arrow sang through the air, striking its target but not with the accuracy, or the power of a true arrow. Ahadi grunted, and lost his stance and the arrow burroed into his flesh. He felt the stab of pain as the head pierced him, he could feel the pull of the shaft every time he breathed, it had passed between two of his ribs.

An icy pain tingled down his arm, numbing his hand, his grip on the talwar, a heavy weapon, faltered. Cover, he needed cover. He let the blade fall fromt he ready position, its pointed tip dug a furrow in the ground as he retreated behind one of the larger trees.

"Kaaz nala dact!" he cursed. The wound was seriousl but didnt seem to have hit anything vital, there was none of the high pressure blood, nor the whispering gurgle of a pierced lung. It still was painful, and it hampered his sword, the talwar demanded two hands to be used with anything even resembling proficiency.

Luke didn't wait for another invitation and dove for cover behind a tree to the left, the arrow had come in at relative horizonital angle. Luke paused only a second then drove through thick brush to where the arrow had come from.

He came into the brush onto a brigand, rather than an archer. Luke unsure of who the fellow was reacted quickly when the vagabound drew a dagger and attacked him. His right hand snapped out and snatched the brigand's wrist and twisted till it broke. With his left he curled his hand into a fist and mashed the man's face. Blood spewed from the brigans nose, he slumped to the ground unconsious.

Kali had ducked instinctively and only looked up in time to see Ahadi struck by the arrow. She winced and gulped watching as he fought hs way to find shelter. Luke too had found shelter before finally laying a blow on the archer that knocked him senseless to the ground. "You have to help Ahadi" she said to Luke watching Ahadi's pained expression. "I can tie this one up but I'm more likely to kill Ahadi in removing that arrow than help him". She looked between the fallen archer and Ahadi.

Then with amazing deftness she took of the fallen man's belt and used it to bind his hands. She used his leather thonging form his boots to bind his feet and then began rifling through his pockets. To some it may have seemed like scavanging but in truth although the prospect of finding any valubles was a positive one she was more concerned with finding the origin of the man and who they were up against. She found a small pouch of gold which rapidly dissapeared into the folds of Kali's clothes for later use and she also found a small parchment sealed with wax and bearing an insignia she was unfamiliar with.

Logged

~I dont go looking for trouble. But with me trouble never waits for the asking, it nearly alwasy gallops halfway to meet me~

Ahadi gingerly touched the arrow, and felt the barbs of the arrowhead. He drew his hand back with a his through his teeth. d**nable luck! He sheathed the talwar clumsily, and drew his own belt knife and set to making a notch in the shaft of the arrow, perhaps a hand's span from his chest. After a moment of whittling, the shaft revealed its less than ideal choice in wood. The shaft snapped, and he was left holding the fletched end, and most of the weight in his hand. THe pain of the arrow being dragged down by the rear was lessened.

He had heard tales of the warriors who cut arrows from their flesh with knives, but they never told how much being shot hurt, or what happened afterwards. Their were only the heros and the dead, no prisoners.

"God d**n barbed arrows. He stripped some leaves off a nearby bush, they were like ferns and carried many spores on the underside that stank. He mashed thme in his hands at best he could. "Suck on this it a strong narcotic herb, but don't swallow! This is going to hurt alot." Luke peeled off one of his leggings wrapping his calf, and toweled it up for a bandage. He grabbed Ahadi's knife from his hand.

"Do your best to control yourself." Luke waited a monet for the narcotic to take effect, then he he cut Ahadi's chest making small incisions around the point of entry. Then he looked inside, Ahadi's vitals didn't seem to be hurt but the arrow was between the ribs. "Ahadi your going to feel alot of pain, so control yourself these next few moments." The arrow was in so, that Luke worried pulling it free might scratch something. The only choice was to break the top rip and slowly remove the arrow.

Luke face contorted and he snapped Ahadi's fourth rib, it broke cleanly in two, Luke worked quickly and got the arrow out gently then set Ahadis, rib. Using one hand he snaked some herbs from his pocket then chewed them up and spat the paste into Ahadi's wound. It was a mild pain killer and helped to mend skin and bone.

He used his legging to wrap up Ahadis chest tightly so the rib would heal right. "Powers above it's a good thing your a strong man."

The narcotic fern tasted worse than anything he Ahadi had ever placed in his mouth. It reminded him of the midden heaps left behind when the sligs were corraled for the slaughter. He could feel the rising swell of nausea as the rib was broken and the arrow removed.

The monk worked quickly, and he didnt feel the palsied weakness of bloodloss, but it seemed that a cavebear had him in a giant chestlock, with the pressure bandage wrapping around his shoulder and chest. Until the wound was healed, and he could swing the talwar with both hands, he was effectively unnarmed.

"Welcome, just don't get shot like that again anytime soon." Luke leans back on his heels watch Ahadi carefuly. Some who was just taken a severe beating looked to be doing alright. He flipped his knife back, "your going to need this more than I will."